Broaden debate and deepen democracy

Many Australians, young and old, but more so the young, probably take democracy and the associated civil liberties for granted, not really knowing what happens when they are curtailed (“Democracy in doubt”, John Roskam, June 8).

This can be traced to two factors – a lack of awareness of and interest in world affairs, along with a lack of meaningful public debate in Australia on what really matters (apart from the ABC’s Q&A).

While we may poke fun at Americans for being inward looking, we are not far behind.

Other than large-scale, tragic, and sensational news such as natural disasters, state-sponsored genocide and extremes of poverty, there is little international news that gets our attention in Australia, and even these big events do not make it past a basic mention.

They do not lead us to ask why they happen, to see if Australia is running the same risks (with the exception of the London riots, which got a brief “could this happen here?” analysis).

World events make no difference to what we say or do, what we buy and from whom, which policies we support or for whom we vote.

As for domestic political debate, we get intensely uncomfortable if the dinner conversation turns to politics or religion, let alone a lethal combination of the two. We run away from the awkwardness we fear this may generate, back into the safe arms of talk about sport, weather or scandals.

No wonder we also elect leaders who run away from responsibilities.

Niranjan Deodhar, Beecroft, NSW

Ports job uproar

Nothing demonstrates the born-to- rule attitude that permeates the Labor Party than its opposition to Mark Brodie’s appointment to the Gladstone Ports Corporation (“Newman appoints LNP mate to port”, AFR, June 8).

Brodie’s investment fund returned $34 million on $170 million, which I make to be a 20 per cent return. The ALP’s friend, Ian Brusasco, presided over a 36 per cent budget blowout.

Instead of keeping quiet in shame, the ALP goes crazy protecting its mate. I hope it doesn’t have enough members for a game of euchre after the next election.

Andrew Wilson, Deputy Lord Mayor, Parramatta City Council, NSW

Block Glencore

If the Foreign Investment Review Board backs the Glencore takeover of Viterra, South Australian grain growers will become mere peasants.

FIRB is the only hope after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission’s abysmal decision to support the deal.

Fair practices in the supply chain will be at greatest risk because big companies can frustrate small ones. This is the biggest issue in the grains industry since the Australian Wheat Board lost its monopoly, yet farm lobby groups are out of touch with their constituents.

Port infrastructure used for grain handling must be independently owned and managed to ensure good competition. The task is to build a grains industry that will foster fair competition and meet future demand.

Treasurer Wayne Swan could intervene. Ports are a sensitive area and the Glencore-Viterra deal could be ruled out by FIRB based on intuition that it is not in the national interest. The grains industry can be a source of national pride, but it needs government support.

Now we have an alleged criminal slip through our fingers because we need to be sure he is guilty before apprehending him. Who are we afraid of offending in this instance?

Craig Hausler, Brisbane, Qld

Turnbull taken seriously

Geoff Kitney’s assertion that “the Liberals dumped Malcolm Turnbull in a fit of pique over his climate change policy in 2009”, cannot go unchallenged lest it become accepted wisdom (“Voters see through robots and ring-ins”, Weekend AFR, June 9-10, 2012).

As the then Liberal leader, Turnbull insisted that the Coalition vote in favour of Labor’s emissions trading scheme legislation, despite the Coalition party room having rejected the shadow cabinet recommendation to do so (a recommendation opposed by six members of the shadow cabinet).

Turnbull’s determination to support Labor’s ETS despite considerable opposition within Coalition ranks threatened the survival of the Liberal-National Coalition, and risked causing a serious and very damaging split within the Liberal Party.

After the failure of intense efforts to persuade Turnbull to modify his position in the interests of Coalition and Liberal unity, the only way to give effect to the party room opposition to Labor’s ETS was to seek a change of leadership.

It is grossly inaccurate for Kitney to describe this very difficult decision by the federal parliamentary Liberal Party as “a fit of pique”.

Senator Nick Minchin, Tusmore, SA

Strong economy but weak on aid

“Today’s exceptional numbers confirm that we have the strongest developed economy in the world,” Treasurer Wayne Swan boasted about the strength of Australia’s economy on Wednesday. The figures exceeded his expectations.

Yet we are dropping our planned foreign aid by $2.9 billion over the next four years. This means about 250,000 fewer lives that could have been saved.

Rewind to 2010, when both major parties promised to increase aid to 0.5 per cent of gross national income by 2015. This is unlikely without steady increases of $1 billion a year.

We are the world’s “strongest developed economy”, so we can afford it. Let’s call on both parties to keep their promise to those most in need.